Barnabas: A Great Disciple Maker #3.

Barnabas leadership, strength and miracle power was obvious even to strangers-Acts 14:11 indicates that Barnabas was held in higher esteem than was Paul.  You may have missed it but at the time the people recognized Barnabas as the "Top Dog" in the pecking order of the traveling Apostles.

They called Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes. This means that the people saw Barnabas as the source of all power and authority! ZEUS was the head of the Pantheon of gods.If you read Greek and Roman gods, it becomes apparent that Zeus is the most powerful and the most feared or respected of all. So, Barnabas was seen as Zeus incarnated. Although he evidently was not a great speaker he was the man of strong character and wisdom.  

This is why God chose him to be the first Apostle to the Gentiles and to lead the first missionary journey. He recruited Saul as his understudy.Saul/ Paul did not lead that first Missionary Journey. Barnabas did. I believe the Bible not the map makers who wrote their own perceptions into the maps hundreds of years later.

Saul/Paul was seen as the weaker man. He was called HERMES because he was was the golden voiced messenger. Saul had studied under one of the great Jewish Rabbi's of the day and obviously shone as a theologian, rhetorician and preacher. The Greeks and Romans honored great speakers but not as much as people in Authority and Power.

It is obvious that Christians have reversed that priority.  In our churches the gift of gab is the only one that really counts.  In the New Testament, character and spiritual authority were the key to leadership.In many modern churches smooth persuasive speakers rule. That reversal has brought followers and churches with a shallow understanding and commitment to the church to God's ways of doing things.It is the principle reason, IMO, why we have grown a lot but not nearly as much as we would if Barnabas the Great Encourager and Disciple Maker was of model instead of an orator.

Barnabas was Courageous: enough to stand for righteousness and be persecuted. Barnabas was obviously strong enough inside to stand up to inside and outside pressures.  Peter often spoke about his unwavering loyalty but gave in to pressure. We have little evidence of Barnabas speaking much but a lot of evidence of his steadfastness.

 He respected past essential traditions. Like Moses, he did not forget his roots.  In Acts 15; 1 ff He took Paul to the Jerusalem Council to argue for Gentile style of worship and fellowship. He stood forthrightly against the Jewish Christians who insisted upon Jewish/Old Testament worship styles. Style was more important than substance. Circumcision was seen as being essential for salvation. Pharisees in the Council demanded that all Gentiles observe the Law of Moses. 

Peter stood and defended Barnabas and Paul.  James, the Bishop of Jerusalem, agreed, and sent a letter commending them to the churches in Asia Minor. He asked that the Gentiles only do three things. 1. Abstain from things sacrificed to idols; 2. Not eat blood, and 3. Flee sexual immorality.It was another breakthrough in spreading the good news to the gentile world. Paul later took his ideas and wrote extensively about substance not style.

Barnabas saw the potential in others and raised them as leaders. The exponential growth of the Gentile church often came from healing and training the unlikely and the unlovely.

                  1.   In Acts 13:21, elders appointed in every town.

                  2.   Despite the trouble Saul had caused the Jerusalem church Barnabas saw his potential as a great leader. Saul was stuck away in the desert up in Tarsus. He languished there for about 10 years after the Jerusalem leaders exiled him for being a trouble maker. Barnabas sought him out to come down to Antioch. He helped heal and mold Saul until he became the Apostle Paul.

                  3.   Barnabas restored, encouraged, equipped and empowered John Mark. It caused quite a quarrel between Paul and his old mentor, Barnabas after Paul had rejected Mark for being a quitter. (See Acts 15:1-ff.) John Mark went on to be Peter’s right hand man, and a comfort to Paul after they reconciled. He, based on the teachings and experiences of Peter, wrote the earliest Gospel,and proved Barnabas to be the strong and wise leader and Paul as a flighty, angry man even after his conversion.

                  4.   As the first Apostle to the Gentiles he brought enormous change to Asia Minor. He established the very first Gentile church in Asia and made it into a missionary outreach station.

                  5.   Silas interned under Barnabas and accompanied Paul on his trips.

                  6.   Timothy became a “grandson” of Barnabas through Paul.

7.     Luke, who wrote almost half the New Testament, interned under Barnabas.

8.     Judas, a powerful prophet, learned under Barnabas.

Who is your model of Ministry? An orator or a Master Disciple Maker?

Want to turn the world upside down? Learn to make disciples. Forget big crowds. 

Try 2 Timothy 2;2